Process of making puncture-closing composition



UNITED STATES PATE T orrica.

CHARLES O. HOIBPING, OF LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA.

PROCESS OF MAKING PUNCTURECLOSING COMPOSITION."

No Drawing. 4

T0 aZZwhom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, CHARLES O. HOPPING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Long Beach, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Process of Making Puncture-Closing' Composition, of which the following is a specification. v

This invention relates to liquid compositions of the character employed in single tube tires and in the inner tube of double tube tires to stop the leaks caused by punctures made by nails and the like which penetrate the air-holding tube of the tire.

An object of this invention is to provide a composition of this description that is efficient for the purpose forv which it is designed and that will not have any deleterious effect upon the tire in which it is placed.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the subjoined detailed description.

The foundation or base of this composition is vegetable fiber such, for example, as those employed in the making of paper. Though any suitable vegetable fiber may be employed in convenient form as the base for this composition,I preferably employ paper. I either prepare the paper pulp by macerating sheet paper or, if desired, I may employ paper already in the pulp form. One way of preparing the fiber pulp is to soak the paper or other fibrous substance in water, then remove it and then beat it to aid in the maceration thereof. To the vegetable fiber pulp is then addedwater in sufficient amount to increase the amount of water so that to one gallon of water, more or less, there is one-half pound of the paper or whatever other vegetable fiber is employed. I do not confine myself to these proportions of fiber and water, since they may vary within wide limits, it merely being neces sary to have a sufficiently thin composition for running into the tire through the valve thereof.

Water and vegetable fiber, such as paper, may of themselves be suflicient to mend a puncture, but to form an emulsion like composition which can be readily injected or poured into a tire, I preferably add a thickening agent to the paper and water. This thickening agent may be, for example, a mucilaginous substance such as starch, glucose, or -arabic, or any two or more of these thickening substances may be used Specification of Letters Patent Patented Apr. 19, 19 21. Application filed November 22, 1919. Serial No. 339,947.

together in the composition. The ingredients and the amounts thereof which I have successfully. employed in forming the composltlon are as follows:

Paper pulp 25% by volume, Starch 10% Gum arabic 2 to 5% water.

After-the paper is boiled to a pulp, I add the starch or other thickening agent and, boil for five minutes longer. Thls boiling thick-. ens the starch or other thickening agent and 7 produces an emulsion like fluid. I may employfrom 2% to; 5% gum arabic in place of an equal volume of'starch and, in that event, I dissolve the gum-arabic in a small amount of water to about the consistency of mucllage and I then add the dissolved gumarabic to the liquid pulp after the pulp is removed from the fire and while it is still hot. After the gum-arabic has been added the composition is allowed to cool and it is then thinned to the desired consistency by the addition of a suitable quantity of water.

To use the composition thus made it will be poured or forced through the valve stem of the tire into the tire, a pint more or less being required for each tire treated, the immount varying according to the size of the ire.

If a nail or other puncturing object should penetrate an air-inflated tire having therein the composition, the object is withdrawn and immediately the composition is forced jurious to the rubber of the tire and the vegetable fiber, preferably in the form of paper, is relatively inexpensive and forms the base of the composition. The vegetable fiber employed in the composition remains soft and yielding, the same as the rubber of the tire, so that the resiliency of the tire is not im aired when the fiber enters the puncture. hen the fiber is employed in the form of paper such paper may be incorporated in the composition in the form of flakes or small pieces and such flakes are capable of stopping up comparatively largef punctures.

Other substances have heretofore been em ployed in place of vegetable fiber in tire mending compositions, but they are either more or less injurious to the tires or are incapable of permanently closingthe punctures. 7 The vegetable fiber employed by me not only efliciently and permanently plugs up -1the puncture made in thetire, but is absolutely uninjurious to the rubber.

The invention is not limited in its broader phases to the exact proportions and ingredi- Yents above named, except in respect to the use of'vegetable fiber, and the invention ineludes such changes and modifications as lie :7 within the spirit andscope of the appended claims.

I claim 1. The process of making a puncture-010s ingcomposition which includes boiling a vegetable fiber pulp in water, and adding a mucilaginous substance to the pulp V and Water mixture while the mixture is hot.

2. The process of making a puncture-closing composition which includes boiling a vegetable fiber'pulp in Water, and then adding a thickening agent to the pulp and Water 4;. The process of making a puncture-closing composition which includes macerating paper, adding a starchy substance to the macerated paper, and then boiling the mixture thus produced. a Signed at Los Angeles, California, this 17th day ofNovember, 1919. 1

CHARLES O. HOPPING. Witnesses:

' CLARENCE B. FosTER,

L. BELLE WEAVER; V 

